EAGER: Time Traveler

该项目将开发一个跨越艺术和科学学科界限的生物信息学计算平台。它将三维物体动画与计算流体力学、热质传递工程、形态学、生理学、行为学、生态学、进化论、地球科学、遥感和地理信息系统技术联系起来。这项研究解决的问题是：“在过去、现在和未来的地质中，气候、地形和植物环境在确定动物身体的大小、形状和分布方面扮演了什么角色？”这项工作将包括使用全球和当地环境的最先进的机械模型以及选定的陆地和海洋脊椎动物和无脊椎动物。这种方法是非常跨学科的，涉及遗传学、生物化学和基于工程/物理的陆地和海洋环境中动物的热量、质量和动量转移模型。研究人员将对流动动物进行建模，这些动物可以全年和多年每小时选择当地的物理环境，以确定增长潜力、繁殖潜力和分布限制。该项目的成果将产生计算和数据库资源和工具，用于科学研究、高中生和大学生的教学，以及对古代、现代和未来环境如何改变或将如何改变物种在地球上成功存在的方式和地点的交互式公共访问。这项研究将开发对政府监管机构、大学和非政府组织科学家以及政策专家有用的资源，并将促进对动物生物物理学、能量学、行为学、生态学和进化的理解。这项工作将创造机会，激发年轻学生和普通公众的好奇心，并创造一个虚拟环境，在那里他们可以探索限制因素，这些限制因素定义了能够在当地环境中成功生存、生长和繁殖的动物种类。这些计算机资源将被开发并在可通过http://www.zoology.wisc.edu/faculty/Por/Por.html.访问的网站上提供

This project will develop a bioinformatics computational platform that crosses the disciplinary boundaries of art and science. It connects 3-D object animation with computational fluid dynamics, heat and mass transfer engineering, morphology, physiology, behavior, ecology, evolution, earth sciences, remote-sensing and GIS technologies. This research addresses the question: "What has been/is/will be the role of climate, topography and plant environments in defining animal body sizes, shapes and distributions in the geological past, the present and future?" This work will include the use of state-of-the-art mechanistic models of global and local environments and selected terrestrial and marine vertebrates and invertebrates. The approach is very cross disciplinary involving genetics, biochemistry, and engineering/physics-based heat, mass and momentum transfer models of animals in terrestrial and marine environments. The investigators will be modeling mobile animals that can select their local physical environments on an hourly basis throughout the year and for multiple years to define growth potential, reproductive potential and distribution limits. The results of this project will generate computational and database resources and tools for scientific research, high school and college student instruction and interactive lay public access to computer explorations of how ancient, modern and future environments have altered, or will alter how and where species can successfully exist on earth. This research will develop resources useful to governmental regulatory agencies, university and NGO scientists as well as policy specialists, and will lead to advances in understanding the biophysics, energetics, behavior, ecology and evolution of animals. This work will create opportunities to pique the curiosity of young students and the lay public, and create a virtual environment where they can explore the constraints that define the kinds of animals that can successfully survive, grow and reproduce in local environments. These computer resources will be developed and made available on a website accessible via http://www.zoology.wisc.edu/faculty/Por/Por.html.